Chapter Five: An Overview of Frameworks for Sustainable Urban Governance and Planning

This chapter delves into the theoretical foundations of this field, drawing upon the works of scholars like Robson (2002), Maxwell (2004), and Creswell (2009), who emphasize the importance of a strong theoretical framework in research. This chapter focuses on sustainable urban planning (SUP) and sustainable urban governance (SUG), exploring their interrelation and impact in modern urban development. The chapter extensively reviews different models and frameworks for sustainable cities and urban governance. It highlights the use of these frameworks in three primary ways: as explanatory tools, pilot tools, or performance assessment tools. The chapter also discusses the varying impacts of these sustainability indicators on different urban centres, stressing the importance of common indicators for monitoring and comparing sustainable urbanization globally. In the quest for understanding SUG and planning, the chapter examines frameworks under two categories: SUG and SUP. It covers various frameworks like the global campaign on urban governance, global urban observatory (GUO) indicators, and urban governance index (UGI) for SUG. For urban planning towards sustainability, models like the International Urban Sustainable Indicator List (IUSIL), urban sustainability index, benchmark best practices, and the integral sustainable city design and planning concept are discussed.